Plumlee: Departing coach Collins has team's respect

DURHAM — Another of the indirect goals for the Duke men’s basketball team is keeping associate head coach Chris Collins employed at the school a little longer.

Collins has agreed to accept the coaching position at Northwestern, according to several reports Wednesday.

An announcement hasn’t come, apparently because Duke is playing in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Regional on Friday night against Michigan State.

“I think that’s a great, great fit for him,” Duke senior forward Mason Plumlee said Wednesday. “When people are happy for you, then you know you did something right. … I’m just glad he hung around for my last year.”

Northwestern hasn’t made public its decision on a replacement for Bill Carmody, who was fired this month.

Collins interviewed earlier this week for the job. He has ties to Chicago as he was Mr. Basketball in Illinois as a high school player at Glenbrook North.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, declining to directly reveal the outcome of the coaching search out of respect to Northwestern, said Collins would be an ideal coaching candidate, in part because of a basketball mind and a competitive personality.

“I hope that’s what it turns out to be and it will be terrific,” Krzyzewski said of the potential of Collins leaving for Northwestern.

Krzyzewski said his staff has others capable of being a head coach. If Collins leaves, it’s something that comes with positive results.

“Our program is good enough with the infrastructure to handle successes,” he said.

Collins, 38, has never been a head coach. He played for Duke from 1993-96 and played professionally overseas. His coaching stops have been with the WNBA’s Detroit Shock and as an assistant coach for former Duke player Tommy Amaker at Seton Hall.

Collins joined Duke’s staff in 2000 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2008. He also has been on board as an aide to Krzyzewski working with the U.S. national team and Olympics team.